Teach Secondary Issue 14.8

temperatures they can expect once they’re there, while also enabling them to attempt some practice skiing and potentially build up their confidence. Similarly, if the trip will entail some significant physical challenges – such as climbing or abseiling – try to organise some practice sessions based around those disciplines with the help of a local provider. Liasingwith the activity centre It’s extremely important that you get to know the staff at the centre you’ve chosen for the residential and their preferred ways of working. My school has been organising regular trips to the same centre in North Herefordshire for some time, with the result that there are now excellent lines of communication between the centre and our trip leaders. We’ll give the centre prior knowledge of students’ abilities before each trip so that the staff there can build a bespoke set of activities. Under some circumstances, they can even provide a small group of students with specific challenges just for them. Working with the right people always makes a huge difference. If you’re working with a centre where staff get to know their guests well, and can adapt their work to better support the specific needs that some students will have, you’ll be able look back later on what was an extremely successful trip. If things go awry... To paraphrase School of Rock’s Principal Mullins, however – “ School trips can go awry! ” Just as you would for any activity that’s planned in advance, make sure you knowwhat you’re going to do if things don’t work out, and share those contingency plans with the staff you’ll be taking with you. After all, you’ll want them feeling less anxious and more confident at the prospect of having to deal with such situations. For those students already receiving some form of regular support from school staff, just knowing that phone calls can be made to key support staff – trained individuals already familiar to them– will give them welcome peace of mind. Planned contact with home The organising of any school visit or residential should always include clearly outlining to parents how and when students will be able use mobile phones. For example, one secondary school local to us that runs a regular Y7 residential outward-bound trip decided that students would be only be able to use their phones on the trip between 6pm and 7pm each evening. To summarise, thorough research, robust planning and reliable communications with parents and colleagues can create all the right conditions for a successful outward-bound trip. Having the right staff in place – both those at the centre and those who’ll be going with you – will ensure that you’re able to provide the best possible support to all students at all times, thus making for an enjoyable and memorable education experience away from your school’s premises. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Daniel Harvey is a GCSE and A Level science teacher and lead on behaviour, pastoral and school culture at an inner city academy TEACH SECONDARY SPECIAL OUTDOOR LEARNING ANTI-ANXIETY STRATEGIES • Be clear as to the benefits of outward-bound trips for students’mental health, self-esteemand confidence levels, and relay these to the students themselves and their families. • Before the trip, discuss how specific wellbeing and mental health goals can be achievedwith centre staff; the best teams will build time for personal reflection and achievement recognition into your itinerary. • Knowyour students before travelling. Speak to parents and school staff to gain a good understanding of whomight be affected by anxiety during the visit. • Plan specific strategies for thosemost likely to be worried or anxious, and share these in advance with the students, their families and centre staff. • Maintain a positive and supportive culture while you’re away, so that students canmeet the challenges planned for them. • Devise a clear and consistent policy around smartphone use during the trip, and then stick to it. 33 teachwire.net/secondary O U T D O O R L E A R N I N G